Editing Ien

{{character|name=Ien

|image=Seon Ien.png

|abilities={{tag+|Splinter}} of [[Devotion]]

|bonded=[[Raoden]]

|species=Seon

|residence=Elantris

|world=Sel

|universe=[[Cosmere]]

|first appeared=[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]]

}}

{{quote

|To a seon, there is no above or beneath, there are only those we love. And we serve those we love.

|Ien to [[Raoden]]{{book ref|Elantris|16}}

}}

'''Ien''' is a [[seon]], a magical being on [[Sel]]. He is bound to King [[Raoden]] of [[Arelon]].{{book ref|Elantris|1}} He is named for [[Aon#Ien|Aon Ien]], which means "wisdom"{{book ref|elantris|part=ars}} and is the symbol used for healing magic in [[AonDor]].{{book ref|Elantris|19}}

==Appearance and Personality==

Like all seons, Ien is sapient and he appears as a melon-sized ball of light.{{book ref|Elantris|2}} Seons have some control over the level of their brightness,{{book ref|Elantris|32}} and they often pulse while speaking or laughing.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} Ien's namesake Aon glows at his center, although it may be difficult to discern through the light.{{book ref|Elantris|32}}

When Raoden is taken by the failed [[Shaod]], Ien's appearance changes. His Aon has new breaks in its lines and patchy colors,{{book ref|Elantris|16}} displaying some similarities to the blotchy skin of [[Elantrian]]s before the restoration of their powers.{{book ref|Elantris|10}} Despite this change, Ien was still recognizable to humans and other seons.{{wob ref|3342}} After Raoden regains access to the power of the [[Dor]], Ien reverts to his original appearance.{{book ref|Elantris|63}}

Ien is exceptionally wise and very thoughtful.{{book ref|Elantris|10}}{{book ref|Elantris|63}} His voice is described as "indulgent" and "stoic".{{book ref|Elantris|16}}{{book ref|Elantris|2}} He cares deeply for Raoden and serves him simply because he loves him.{{book ref|Elantris|16}}

==Attributes and Abilities==

{{for|Seon}}

Seons are sapient [[Splinter]]s of [[Devotion]]{{wob ref|5991}} and possess several magical qualities, including flight, light generation, immortality,{{wob ref|3885}} invulnerability,{{wob ref|7439}} instant communication, and enhanced senses.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|Elantris|32}} Seons form bonds with humans; this bond can be Passed from person to person.{{wob ref|2076}} This bond works through [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] [[Connection]]{{wob ref|10049}} and has similarities to the [[Nahel bond]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|3488}}

When Raoden was taken by the broken Shaod, his spiritual nature was changed, causing Ien to lose his sapience and sentience.{{wob ref|10049}} Ien retains at least some of his powers when he loses sentience—he still glows and is able to fly—but his abilities are severely weakened.{{book ref|Elantris|10}}

==History==

Ien formed a bond with Prince Raoden when he was a young boy.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} It is not clear who exactly [[Seon#Bonds_with_Humans|Passed]] Ien to Raoden, but it was a common custom to keep seons within a family.{{book ref|elantris|34}}

===The Shaod===

After they bonded, Ien was almost always at Raoden's side. When Raoden was taken by the failed Shaod, he did not immediately understand what had happened and was confused by the fact that he could not find Ien.{{book ref|Elantris|1}} After getting thrown into the fallen city of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]], Raoden worried about Ien but tried not to think about his fate.{{book ref|Elantris|4}} He later found Ien, but the seon had lost sapience and seemed to be barely able to stay upright.{{book ref|Elantris|10}} There were some indications that Ien somehow recognized Raoden, but they were fleeting moments that passed quickly.{{book ref|Elantris|10}}{{book ref|Elantris|16}} While most "mad" seons stayed away from humans, [[Galladon]] considered Ien to be "creepy" because he tended to stay near Raoden.{{book ref|Elantris|28}}

===Post-restoration===

After the Elantrians regained their powers, the mad seons also had their powers and personalities restored. Ien claimed to have no recollection of anything that happened during his "madness".{{book ref|Elantris|63}} However, Raoden noted that Ien had changed; he had become quieter and even more thoughtful.{{book ref|Elantris|63}} This change in Ien was significant,{{wob ref|7182}} but is not well-understood.

== Relationships==

===Raoden===

Raoden considers Ien a friend, but he also sees him as a reflection of his god's love; Ien loves Raoden unconditionally.{{book ref|Elantris|16}}

When Raoden was eight years old, he severely broke his leg.{{book ref|Elantris|19}} Doctors could not heal him, and [[Raoden's mother|his mother]] and his father [[Iadon]] were forced to take him to Elantris. A female Elantrian healed him with a complex version of Aon Ien.{{book ref|Elantris|19}} Raoden has intense memories of this event,{{book ref|Elantris|19}} but it is unknown if that influenced the selection of his seon. Later in Raoden's youth, he learned about slavery and attempted to free Ien, but Ien assured him that he wanted to serve him and that he required no payment.{{book ref|Elantris|16}}

==Trivia==

* The change in Ien's personality after the restoration of AonDor could be explored in a planned future sequel to ''Elantris''.{{wob ref|7182}}

* In an early draft of ''Elantris'', Ien (then known as "Ian") showed up and had a major role during a climactic fight with [[Dilaf]].{{bws ref|elantris-alternate-ending-material|''Elantris'' alternate ending material|date=date unknown}} Brandon and his editor [[Moshe Feder]] felt that the scene (including the way that the seon's magic was used) did not fit into the book's narrative, and it was completely rewritten.{{wob ref|2234}}

<references /><!-- Elantris: 1, 4, 10, 16, 19, 25, 28, 41, 44, 49, 62, 63 -->

{{complete|[[User:Big Smooth|Big Smooth]] ([[User talk:Big Smooth|talk]]) 11:18, 1 April 2019 (MST)}}